Indore, February 10 A two-year-old girl and a 76-year-old man who fell ill during a diarrhoea-vomiting outbreak in the city's Bhagirathpura have died in the last two days, with their families claiming that they are the latest victims of the contaminated water crisis in the area.
As many as 35 people have died since the outbreak was first reported in December, local residents claimed.
Sonam Prajapati told PTI that her two-year-old daughter, Siya, developed diarrhoea on December 27 after drinking contaminated water.
"Her health improved after treatment, but after a few days, her condition deteriorated again, and we admitted her to the hospital where she died this morning," said Prajapati.
"My daughter was born after many prayers and vows. But God has taken her away from me," said the grieving mother, fighting back tears.
Shaligram Thakur (76), who ran a private school in Bhagirathpura for several years, was hospitalised on January 2 after he suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea, said his son, Kapil Thakur.
"Even after changing two hospitals, his condition did not improve, and the doctors gave up. Finally, we brought him home on Monday, and two hours later, he passed away," the son told reporters.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had met his father among other patients on January 17, he added.
"No representative of the administration has contacted me since my father's death," Kapil Thakur claimed.
The actual death toll due to contaminated drinking water in Bhagirathpura has been a subject of controversy. According to a report submitted by a committee of experts from the Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College to the Madhya Pradesh High Court on January 27, the deaths of 16 people may be linked to contaminated water.
Most of the deceased were from low- and middle-income groups.
The state government has provided financial assistance of Rs 2,00,000 each to the families of more than 20 people. Officials claimed that some of these people died due to other causes, but the families of all the deceased are being provided assistance out of humanitarian grounds.
